76 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3 1 JULY 2019
n today’s world of
375bhp superhatches, it’s
t e mp t i n g t o lo ok dow n on
c a r s s uc h a s t he 2 07 bhp
Audi S3 of 1999 and sniff. Except
that back then, the performance
reference points were legends such
a s t he 2 07 bhp Vol k s w a ge n G ol f G 6 0
Limited 1.8 16v Syncro of 1990 and
the 212bhp Lancia Delta HF Integrale
Evo 2 2.0 16v of 1993.
Judged against those heroes, the
S3 doesn’t look so bad after all (we’ll
ignore the inconvenient presence
of t he 2 0 4bhp V W G ol f 2. 8 V R 6
4Mot ion , a l s o l au nc he d i n 1999).
It gets better, since while today an
80,000-mile Integrale Evo 2 costs
from around £50,000 and, when
they come up for sale, a G60 Limited
around the same, a tidy S3 of 2002
with the uprated 222bhp engine can
be on your driveway for just £2250.
It w i l l h av e done 188, 0 0 0 m i le s ,
though, and to be fair to the G60
and especially the Integrale, it
lacks charisma and heritage, not
to mention their panache. But for
driving enthusiasts on a budget, theS3 is worth more than a sniff.
In 1999, it shook up the hot hatch
world. Here was an all-wheel-drive,
three-door hatch capable of 0-62mph
in 6.6sec one moment and bumbling
to the shops the next – duties its solid
construction suggested it would
perform for years to come.
Like most Audis then and since,
it’s a discreet thing. True, its wheel
arches are slightly wider than an A3’s
of the time, its bumpers are deeper
and it wears a tasty set of 17in Avus
six-spoke alloys, but otherwise it
hides its light under a bushel.
At launch, the S3’s 1.8-litre 20-valve
turbocharged engine was pegged to
207bhp to avoid embarrassing the
newly arrived TT. However, in 2001,
w it h it s h a nd for c e d b y t he l au nc h of
a new generation of powerful rivals,
Audi increased the power to 222bhp,a move that saw the car’s 0-62mph
s pr i nt t i me f a l l t o 6. 4 s e c. C r uc i a l l y,
the engine, now codenamed BAM,
gained stronger con rods. The S3
was facelifted the following year,
receiving one-piece headlights,
revised tail-lights, a new S3 badge
and restyled tailgate trim.
From launch, the S3’s standard
trim included climate control, self-
levelling xenon headlights, electric
Recaro sports seats and a half-leather
finish. Options included larger 18in
alloys and a Bose sound system. The
S3’s thoroughly sensible-looking and
solidly fixed interior has lasted well,
although we’ve seen enough worn
le at he r b ol s t e r s t o k now t h i s a r e a of
the cabin can be an issue.
Today, of course, the only feature
that matters is a full service history.
The oil and filter should have been
changed every 10,000 miles, theHaldex coupling oil every 40,000
and the timing belt, tensioner and
water pump, ideally with a metal
impeller in place of the plastic one,
every 60,000. Don’t be put off by a
high mileage or multiple owners (to
be expected after 19 years): it’s that
service history that matters. And if it
comes to it, go for the 222bhp version
with its stronger engine.
The original Audi S3 may be getting long in the tooth, but this solid if understated
hot hatch is now a performance bargain. John Evans finds out more
BORN THREE
HOW TO BUY AN
AUDI S3
I
Quattro –
or is it?
Audi called the S3 a quattro
but pedants say that
because it uses a Haldex
coupling rather than a
Torsen differential,
it isn’t.